Criminal Justice at the Crossroads

I will give them a single heart and I will put a new spirit in them. I will remove theheart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh instead. – Ezekiel 11:19 As Christians we are called to act from “hearts of flesh” – founded on openness, compassion and mercy, not from “hearts of stone” – motivated by hurt, anger or fear. Yet what does this mean when it comes to dealing with those who have been afflicted by crime, with offenders, and with our criminal justice system? Criminal Justice at a Crossroad is a series of articles prepared by the CCJC, intended to assist in reflection on the issues and options now before us as a country.

Criminal Justice at a Crossroad: Why this series now?

Crime affects all of us, including our faith communities, through locked doors, security systems and higher insurance rates, and through the fear of our own safety when we hear news of crime and violence. Our parents, relatives and friends may be victims of crime. Youth in our communities may get caught up in gang brutality. Adults from our communities may be jailed and their children will suffer.

We hear a lot of ‘crime talk’ and read crime statistics. Too many lives are dominated by fear. Crime feeds our fears and can limit our hope. As a society and as Christians, we must consider how this has changed us and the way we view victims, offenders and the justice system. Do our attitudes reflect our faith values: care of the afflicted; the dignity of every person; forgiveness and the healing of broken relationships; accountability; the common good? Do our country’s criminal laws and correctional system practices make us safer? Do we let fear and prejudice hardens our hearts to being human with all our neighbours, including our ‘enemies’?

These are challenging questions, especially for those of us who have been touched by the trauma, rage and injustice of crime. Nevertheless, these questions must be asked, and asked again and again. This is particularly the case at this time.

We are currently seeing a major shift in Canada’s criminal justice priorities. Our governments, federal and provincial, are about to invest billions of dollars innew prison construction. Do policies that emphasize greater punishment, longer sentences and more incarceration help bring about reconciliation and healing, an experience of justice that can build peaceful communities? Is the spending of such vast sums of money on more prisons an exercise instewardship when it takes away tax dollars from other areas essential to thecommon good? For here is the sobering reminder: we have been commanded to love not only our friends but also our enemies (Matthew 5). This may feel cruelly intolerable in some circumstances, and we must be gentle with ourselves about that. But we know in faith that God wants to remove that stone and give us hearts of flesh.

We can help each other to sit with this promise and wait with an open spirit. We can seek out new ways of looking for justice that offer more opportunities to foster healing and grace.

Criminal Justice at the Crossroads: Introduction  Download pdf

Criminal Justice at the Crossroads: Victims of Crime  Download pdf

Criminal Justice at the Crossroads: People in Prisons  Download pdf

Still to Come:

Youth: What happens to the young who get in trouble with the law?

Restorative Justice and alternatives to incarcerationt